Why would a school stop early language GCSEs?

[Bookmark]

Very relevant to my family. DD started life as an English speaker (refused to speak French with me...) Then spent years 2 to 6 in France and would have happily forgotten English. Now bilingual. It is important for her to study the language more formally and not always practical to do so outside school.
She is therefore taking A-level French but I am worried it might not count and she is now interested in a degree for which she would need it. She is also taking 3 other A- levels so she would have other options.
Because of her history, is French really her native language I am not so sure. We have to enquire with relevant universities as policies seem to vary.

[Yamin151]

I'm sure this must be mainly something to do with league tables etc, but I do wonder one other thing. Maybe the school feels that the 'support' they are expected to give to these students, is over and above what they are required to do and represents a use of resources that they feel could be better utilised elsewhere? i could very well be wrong but it was the first thought that I had. I'm not arguing against any of the reasons you say for it being a valued GCSE to take early or why it is just as hard, but just that maybe to the school its a bit like being asked to support economics for a GCSE in Y9 when they actually don't offer it until Y13? Not saying thats right, just that it might be a resource thing.

[salsa]

Hi Yamin151,

Yes, it has crossed my mind, however, especially if they have said that the school will only support a child if they teach the language. They do have some children attending their heritage language classes as they only speak it, but do not write it properly. So, they would be so easy to "teach". These other children who have complete control of the language should not attend classes, but just need to be guided and entered for the exam. In fact, the ones I know, were given mocks to do at home together with the marking scheme, so the parent had to do everything. Granted, the children also did mocks at school and those were marked by the teachers. Added work for them, of course, but I understand the school has to? I do not have any written evidence at the moment, but a teacher told me that. Now, he was talking about a normal comprehensive, so I don't know if this is the same for academies. He told me that the school had to support all children on their heritage language whether they taught the language or not. At my son's school they have decided they will not. So, there is either a change of policy or the school does not have to abide by it as they are an academy.

[salsa]

Very relevant to my family. DD started life as an English speaker (refused to speak French with me...) Then spent years 2 to 6 in France and would have happily forgotten English. Now bilingual. It is important for her to study the language more formally and not always practical to do so outside school.
She is therefore taking A-level French but I am worried it might not count and she is now interested in a degree for which she would need it. She is also taking 3 other A- levels so she would have other options.
Because of her history, is French really her native language I am not so sure. We have to enquire with relevant universities as policies seem to vary.

Interesting. Is she actually taking lessons at the school? I guess your child was born in the UK?

[Bookmark]

Yes she was born in the UK, and was back to start secondary school here. So technically she changed her main language twice. I was concerned about her level of English for Y7 as she was not interested in reading or writing it but children adapt amazingly. We were still speaking some English at home as DH does not speak French.
She took her French GCSE early, in year 9, at school but she was still with the y9 students, the teacher gave her separate work. She loves doing A-Level French so it will not be wasted time anyway. She is taught in the normal ALevel class, teachers love having her there!

[salsa]

If it is sat privately it has to be 'linked' to you or your results won't show up when you come to apply to uni.

If it is linked then the results will be included in the League tables - and, as I said, they could be in wrong format.

It is also to do with this recent guidance:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/per ... idance.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hi Guest55,

Thank you so much for this link. This may explain a lot. I would like to comment on the following from the document:

What happens if the pupil took a qualification before year 9?
If a pupil has certificated a qualification more than three years before the end of key
stage 4, the first entry rule does not apply. In most cases, this will apply to pupils in years
8 and below.
In these cases performance measures count either the best grade achieved either from
before the three year cut-off point or the first entry after the cut-off point.

So, according to this, if the child takes the exam before year 9, there is no problem for the school?

What happens if a pupil sits a private early entry qualification?
Where a qualification is certificated privately, this continues to count in the performance
measures for the school at which the pupil was on roll. Schools should engage pupils and
parents in constructive discussions on this issue where they feel a private early entry is
inappropriate.
This also applies where a pupil sits an exam at an exam centre other than their school.
That is, if a pupil sat an exam at another school’s exam centre, this will still count in the
results in the performance measures for the school where the pupil is on roll.

So, what performance table does this refer to? The year the child takes the early GCSE or the year when the child is in year 11 and takes all the other GCSEs?

[salsa]

Yes she was born in the UK, and was back to start secondary school here. So technically she changed her main language twice. I was concerned about her level of English for Y7 as she was not interested in reading or writing it but children adapt amazingly. We were still speaking some English at home as DH does not speak French.
She took her French GCSE early, in year 9, at school but she was still with the y9 students, the teacher gave her separate work. She loves doing A-Level French so it will not be wasted time anyway. She is taught in the normal ALevel class, teachers love having her there!

I bet they love having her in the class! She would definitely count for their statistics.

[Guest55]

Thank you so much for this link. This may explain a lot. I would like to comment on the following from the document:

What happens if the pupil took a qualification before year 9?
If a pupil has certificated a qualification more than three years before the end of key stage 4, the first entry rule does not apply. In most cases, this will apply to pupils in years 8 and below.
In these cases performance measures count either the best grade achieved either from before the three year cut-off point or the first entry after the cut-off point.

So, according to this, if the child takes the exam before year 9, there is no problem for the school?

What happens if a pupil sits a private early entry qualification?
Where a qualification is certificated privately, this continues to count in the performance measures for the school at which the pupil was on roll. Schools should engage pupils and parents in constructive discussions on this issue where they feel a private early entry is inappropriate.
This also applies where a pupil sits an exam at an exam centre other than their school.
That is, if a pupil sat an exam at another school’s exam centre, this will still count in the results in the performance measures for the school where the pupil is on roll.

So, what performance table does this refer to? The year the child takes the early GCSE or the year when the child is in year 11 and takes all the other GCSEs?

Q1 See the highlighted bit - the grade does count - the first bit just clarifies that if they take it again in KS4 it is not counted as a 'resit'.

Q2 It counts in their 'home' school data when they are in Year 11.

[salsa]

Brilliant, Guest55. Thank you.

[Guest55]

Do note that all grades, whenever achieved, have to be declared on any UCAS application.